American Pickers
American Pickers is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010, on the History Channel, produced by A&E Networks in collaboration with Cineflix Media. In the series, the hosts travel across America in search of rare Americana artifacts and national treasures that they can buy from the collectors to add to their personal collections or sell in their antique shops.
Overview
The show follows antique and collectible picker Mike Wolfe and a co-host, who travel around the United States to buy various items for resale, for clients, or for their personal collections. Danielle Colby runs the office of Wolfe's business, Antique Archaeology, from their home base in LeClaire, Iowa. They originally traveled in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and now in a Ford Transit. The pickers go on the road, not only following up leads that Colby has generated but also "freestyling"–stopping at places that look like they might hold items worth buying. They also pick some places more than once.The first three seasons used a lengthy introduction, but beginning with Season 4, a shortened version began to be used:
The pickers explore people's homes, barns, sheds, outbuildings, and other places where they have stored antiques and collectibles. They call upon amateur and serious collectors, hoarders, and also people who have inherited overwhelming collections of items that they don't know what to do with. Wolfe, who has been picking since age four, has a particular interest in antique motorcycles, air-cooled Volkswagens, old bicycles, and penny-farthings. They have purchased old advertisements and commercial signage, film posters, a rare 15-gallon visible gasoline pump, and a Piaggio Ape which a friend told them is probably the only one of its kind in North America.
In December 2011, American Pickers revealed that Antique Archaeology had leased part of a former 1914 car factory in Nashville which originally made the Marathon automobile for a second business location to decrease the distance required to haul their finds from the southern states. This location subsequently closed in 2025.
On July 21, 2021, The History Channel announced that Frank Fritz was leaving American Pickers. On July 21, 2022, various news outlets reported that Fritz was hospitalized with a stroke. In a late May 2023 visit between Fritz and Wolfe, Fritz deferred rejoining the series at that time due to his health. Colby, Mike Wolfe's younger brother Robbie, and friend and antiques expert "Jersey Jon" Szalay have since taken turns accompanying Wolfe on his road trips. They also occasionally make their own trips independently.
Fritz was born on October 11, 1963, and died on September 30, 2024, at the age of 60.
Reception
The series debuted on January 18, 2010. The premiere episode of American Pickers had 3.1 million viewers, making it the highest rated History channel debut since Ice Road Truckers in 2007. The September 8, 2010, episode "Laurel & Hardy" garnered Nielsen ratings as high as 5.3 million viewers in the 25–54 age group. As of that episode, the show retained the title of #1 new non-fiction series of 2010 among all viewers and adults 25–54.Australia
American Pickers was also shown in Australia on 7mate. In 2013, an Australian version of the show, called Aussie Pickers, premiered on 7mate. The series ran until 2014, lasting two seasons. In 2019, Road to Riches was launched on A&E Australia.Ireland
In 2020, A+E Networks UK commissioned Irish Pickers, which follows Irish antique dealer Ian Dowling. It premiered on Blaze and is narrated by Ardal O'Hanlon.Episodes
Home media
| DVD name | Format | Ep # | Discs | Region 1 | Region 4 |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 01, Episode 01-12 | 03 | 1 June 2010 | 6 April 2011 |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 02, Episodes 01-08 | 02 | 1 February 2012 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 02, Episodes 09-13 Season 03, Episodes 01-03 | 02 | 5 September 2012 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 03, Episodes 04-11 | 02 | 9 January 2013 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 03, Episodes 12-13 Season 04, Episodes 01-12 | 04 | 3 July 2013 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 05, Episodes 01-13 Season 06, Episodes 01 | 03 | 4 December 2013 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 06, Episode 02-10 Season 07, Episodes 01-04 | 03 | 5 March 2014 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 07, Episodes 06-12 Season 08, Episodes 01-04 | 03 | 4 June 2014 | |
| American Pickers | DVD | Season 08, Episodes 05-09 Season 09, Episodes 01-07 | 03 | 1 October 2014 | |
| American Pickers: Picking It Forward | DVD | Season 09, Episode 08-12 Season 10, Episodes 01-04 Season 10, Episodes 06-08 & 11 | 03 | 2 March 2015 | |
| American Pickers: Pick or Treat | DVD | Season 10, Episode 05 Season 10, Episodes 09-10 Season 10, Episode 12-13 Season 11, Episodes 01-08 | 03 | 6 July 2015 | |
| American Pickers: Big Boy Toys | DVD | Season 11, Episodes 09-15 Season 12, Episodes 01-07 | 03 | 9 September 2015 | |
| American Pickers: Museum Men | DVD | Season 12, Episodes 08-11 Season 12, Episodes 13-14 Season 13, Episodes 01-09 | 04 | 2 March 2016 | |
| American Pickers: On The Hunt | DVD | 04 | 1 July 2016 | ||
| American Pickers: Oddities & Commodities | DVD | Season 14, Episode 01-05 Season 14, Episodes 10-19 | 03 | 1 September 2016 | |
| American Pickers: Planes, Frames and Automobiles | DVD | Season 15, Episode 01-10 | 03 | 5 July 2017 | |
| American Pickers: Divide & Conquer | DVD | Season 15, Episode 12 Season 16, Episodes 01-17 Season 17, Episode 06 | 04 | 4 October 2017 | |
| American Pickers: Tunnels & Treasures | DVD | Season 17, Episodes 01-05 Season 17, Episodes 07-11 | 03 | 28 March 2018 | |
| American Pickers: The Mother Load | DVD | Season 18, Episodes 01-06 Season 18, Episode 08 Season 18, Episodes 10,13 | 03 | 4 July 2018 | |
| American Pickers: Junkyard Wizard | DVD | Season 18, Episodes 07,09-10 Season 19, Episodes 01-08 | 03 | 6 February 2019 | |
| American Pickers: Pickers Like It Hot | DVD | Season 19, Episodes 09-23 | 04 | 5 June 2019 | |
| American Pickers: Raiders Of The Lost Pick | DVD | Season 20, Episodes 01-12 | 03 | 5 February 2020 | |
| American Pickers: California Picking | DVD | Season 20, Episodes 13-24 | 03 | 4 March 2020 | |
| American Pickers: Midwest Mayhem | DVD | Season 20, Episode 01-11 | 03 | N/A | 7 April 2021 |
| American Pickers: Back Road Buys | DVD | Season 20, Episode 12-?? | 03 | N/A | 2 June 2021 |
| American Pickers: Mega Collection | DVD | Box set containing: Planes, Frames & Automobiles Divide & Conquer Tunnels & Treasures The Mother Load Junkyard Wizard Pickers Like It Hot | 6 November 2019 |
In other media
- In the NCIS episode, "One Man's Trash", Gibbs and Ducky watch American Pickers and see an antique war stick from a 16-year-old cold case. Mike Wolfe guest stars as himself in the episode.